Revenge of the Fellowship II
by LordKim
Summary: Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are at it once again. This time they are joined by Gandalf and the Hobbits, meaning more pranks and more people to play them on! Feedback is appreciated. No slash or language.
1. A Reunion of Friends

Disclaimer: I certainly don't own anything that has to do with LOTR, though this doesn't stop me from wishing...

* * *

Aragorn sat silently in the shade of a large oak tree, deeply absorbed in the pages of his book. Hearing a noise, he glanced up from his reading to see a wagon approaching. Watching closely, it did not take him long to realize who had arrived.

"Legolas, come see who's here!" Aragorn called as a big, wooden cart pulled up in front of him.

"Gandalf! And you've brought the Hobbits with you as well. It's wonderful to see you again!" Legolas exclaimed as he came outside.

"And it's good to see you again, too!" Frodo replied, speaking for everyone in his party.

It had been quite some time since the entire fellowship had been gathered together. To celebrate, they prepared as much of a feast as they could manage in such short notice. After the meal, they lingered in the large dining room, talking and laughing, getting each other up to date on the happenings of their part of Middle Earth.

"Where has Gimli gotten off to?" Gandalf asked after a bit of time had passed.

"I'm right here," Gimli replied, walking through the doorway back into the room, and taking his seat beside the Hobbits. "So, what are we talking about?" he asked.

Thinking nothing of Gimli's leave of absence, the fellowship once again lapsed into chatter, continuing on until late at night. Finally they split up for the night. Legolas led the four Halflings to a room they could sleep in and bid them good night. Late as it was, it did not take very long at all before the Hobbits had fallen asleep.

Outside, Gimli hid in the shadows, watching and waiting until he was absolutely sure that everyone had retired for the night. He fought hard to keep from giggling to himself and attracting attention. What great luck he had! Now he had not only Aragorn and Legolas to play pranks on, but also Gandalf and the Hobbits as well! He shivered with excitement.

Confident that everyone had gone to bed and were no longer walking the halls, Gimli silently crept to the door of the room he had seen Legolas give to the Hobbits. Testing the knob, he was not surprised to find that it had been left unlocked. They were in Rivendell, after all. There was nothing to keep out here. Or so they had thought.

Sneaking up beside their beds, Gimli grinned to himself as he watched the Hobbits sleep.

"Let's see here… Just a bit there… More here…" he murmured softly to himself.

Finishing his business, Gimli tip-toed out of the room and quietly brought the door closed. He then dashed for his own quarters, eager to get as far away from the 'scene of the crime' as possible.

Birds chirped outside as the rays of morning sun began to shine through the window. Frodo stretched and attempted to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Yawning, he decided it must have been about time to get up. He glanced around the room. Merry, Pippin, and Sam lie in their beds, still fast asleep. Frodo decided to let them get their rest. After all, it was no short trip they had made to Rivendell just the day before. Sleepily, he stumbled towards the bathroom, but was not prepared for what he would see when he glanced up at the mirror. It startled him so much that he screamed.

Sam jolted from his sleep.

"Mr. Frodo! What's wrong?" he asked, clearly concerned.

He jumped from his bed and hurried towards the bathroom door. Turning the corner, he too caught a glimpse of what the mirror beheld, and it was his turn to let out a shout.

"What happened?" Sam demanded, staring intently at Frodo's face, then back in the mirror at his own.

"I don't know! I've been asleep!" Frodo exclaimed.

By this time, Merry and Pippin had been awoken from all the noise.

"Why must you two be so loud?" Pippin complained, rolling over and plopping his pillow on top of his head.

"Stop whining, lazy bones," Merry retorted. "It's about time we get up anyway. Especially you. All you ever do is sleep… And eat."

"That's not true!" Pippin argued, peeking out from under his pillow. In doing so, he saw Merry's face, as well as the artwork it displayed, and burst into a fit of laughter. "You should see yourself. You look ridiculous!" he hooted.

"Nonsense," Merry replied. "I assure you I look just as I always do."

"Who's to say that the way you usually look isn't ridiculous?" Pippin remarked in a softer tone, yet still loud enough for Merry to hear.

Merry shot him 'the look' and stood up from his bed, walking over to the looking glass to prove to Pippin that he looked just as he did on any other morning. That was not the sight he was met with, however.

"What!" he exclaimed.

Enraged, he ran back and jumped onto his bed, chucking his pillow at Pippin's head, hoping that the flying object would knock said Hobbit's head clear off his shoulders. Not one to back down, Pippin threw his own pillow back at Merry, and in doing so uncovered his face.

"Aha! You have it, too!" Merry shouted.

"Have what?" Pippin asked.

"A beard and a mustache!" He held the looking glass up for Pippin to see. "A very fine mustache at that… Why couldn't mine look that nice?" Merry mused. "You're getting me off the point again, young Took! The point is, you did all of this while the rest of us were sleeping, and I for one am going to get you back for it!" He whirled another pillow in Pippin's direction.

"Me?" Pippin asked. "That is absolutely absurd. How could I have drawn such a nice mustache on my own face?"

Minutes passed by as similar banter ensued before Frodo and Sam had finally gathered themselves well enough to emerge from the bathroom. When they did return, they found Merry and Pippin still going strong, alternatively taking whacks at the other's head with their pillows.

"Enough of this!" Sam insisted.

Immediately Merry and Pippin dropped their 'weapons'. A split second of silence followed before they both began to quickly explain why the pillow fight was solely the fault of the other.

"All right, you two," Frodo sighed. "Let's go find Gandalf."

"I'm not going out there looking like this!" Merry exclaimed.

"If he gets to refuse to go, then so do I!" Pippin argued.

Without waiting for a reply, Merry dashed off into the connecting room where they had left all their belongings, Pippin close in pursuit. They retrieved a certain item; then returned to where they had left Frodo and Sam.

"All right, now we are ready," Pippin announced.

"And it's about time, too," Sam said impatiently. "Now to find out who's behind all this!"


	2. Facial Hair and the Lack Thereof

The hobbits marched out of the room in single file. Outside their door, no one was in sight. What a coincidence. They decided to split up to find Gandalf, or really anyone at this point, as soon as possible. Merry and Pippin went off to the left while Frodo and Sam started off to the right.

Merry and Pippin were the first to encounter someone. That someone was Aragorn.

"Good morning, Hobbits!" he called. "Is that you Merry and Pippin? What on earth are you doing?"

"Looking for Gandalf," Merry replied in a muffled voice. "Someone did something to us last night and they must be punished!"

"What happened?" Aragorn asked. "Why are you wearing those bags over your head?"

He reached out to remove the paper bag from Pippin's head, but the Halfling refused.

"No! You can't see. It's too terrible," he insisted.

"He's right, you know. What's under that bag is rather terrible," Merry snickered, earning himself a solid punch from Pippin.

"It can't be that bad," Aragorn said, trying to reason with the young Hobbit.

"It is!" Pippin cried.

With that, he turned around and ran. He did not make it very far, as Aragorn took one step for each of his two, and he soon ran right into Frodo, who was returning with Sam after an unsuccessful search for Gandalf. Before he could be hindered, Aragorn tore the paper bag off of Pippin's head.

"What?" was his astonished remark at the sight.

Just then, Gimli came walking up behind the group. At the sight of the Hobbits, he bit his lower lip, trying his best not to giggle, but soon failed and erupted into full fledged laughter.

"Hobbits with beards and mustaches!" Gimli cackled loudly, proud of his work.

"You!" Sam accused. "You did this, didn't you?"

"Ahh, get yourself a sense of humor, lad," Gimli replied. "Have you ever seen a Hobbit with facial hair before? It is quite the sight, I assure you. Besides, it will wear off within a week or so."

"A week?" Frodo asked, his mouth hanging open.

His only reply was Gimli lapsing into another fit of laughter.

"Gimli, how could you do this?" Aragorn demanded. "These are our guests. We are to welcome them, not frighten them away."

Gimli shrugged.

"He's hopeless," Merry remarked with a scowl.

"Come with me," Aragorn instructed. "I have no desire to be in the presence of this… dwarf any longer."

The Hobbits and Aragorn took their leave, as Gimli remained by himself in the clearing, still chuckling softly to himself.

Before long, they found Legolas. The blond-haired elf stood with his bow in hand, practicing his aim that was already nearly perfect. Looking up from the target, he greeted his friends. Then he saw the Hobbit's faces.

"What happened to the four of you?" he asked; then looked at Aragorn. "It's that horrid dwarf, isn't it? He's playing pranks again?"

"I'm afraid so," Aragorn said. "I knew I should have suspected something when he disappeared at dinner last night."

"I have heard of the pranks he played before," Sam said. "That was a fiasco!"

Merry and Pippin smiled at each other, holding back a chuckle. The stories of Gimli's previous pranks were some of their favorites, though they had never imagined that they would become one of his victims.

"Will Gimli ever learn?" Frodo asked.

"I would not guarantee it," Legolas replied with a small grin. "But do not worry about it. Gimli will get what he has coming for him. Luckily for you, I have an idea."

---------------

"Shh!" Pippin hissed.

It was night again. The sky was dark, clouds obscuring the moon, a night perfect for sneaking around unnoticed.

"Shh yourself," Merry whispered back. "You're being louder than I am anyway."

"Merry and Pippin… Be quiet now!" Aragorn warned.

"Look what you've done now, Merry. Gone ahead and gotten us in trouble, as usual," Pippin said.

Aragorn turned and gave both the Hobbits 'the look', causing them both to become deathly silent almost immediately.

"Here, Frodo," Legolas called quietly. "I think you should be the one to do the honors."

The elf handed him something in the dark. Frodo crept up towards Gimli as the others watched in breathless anticipation.

"This is so much fun!" Pippin breathed.

"I must agree with you, my friend," Aragorn replied, chuckling softly. "Finally the dwarf gets what he deserves!"

The group of six finished their 'mission' and silently tiptoed out of Gimli's quarters. Congratulating one another on their success, they bid each other goodbye and left to turn in for the night.

---------------

"It's a beautiful morning!" Gimli cried in a singsong voice, rising from his bed.

Yes, it was a beautiful morning. He wondered if the Hobbits had gotten over their new facial hair yet, and had another chuckle over that. Standing by his window, he overlooked the grounds. Something felt weird, different, not right…

'What could it be?' he wondered to himself, putting his hand to his chin.

A split second later he realized what was missing. He ran to the mirror, his jaw dropping to the ground.

"Oh, they are going to pay now!" he cried.

Storming out of his room, he set off to find someone, anyone, who could have possibly done this to him. The first person he did find… Well, he pitied them, because he was going to rip them to shreds. He was a dwarf. He was someone you did not mess with. He was going to get revenge for this. He… tripped over his own shoelace and was flat on his face.

Quickly scanning the premises to check if anyone had witnessed the embarrassing sight, Gimli stood to his feet and brushed himself off. Satisfied that no one had seen him, he resumed his dignified air and began to march off in search of someone once more.

He soon found Legolas and Aragorn sitting together. Yes, these two would suffice for pouring out his wrath.

"How did you do this?" Gimli demanded of them.

"How did we do what?" Legolas asked, smiling sweetly.

"You cut off my beard, elf!" he shouted.

"Oh, that," Legolas replied calmly. "We used a Schick Xtreme 3 to get the closest shave possible."

Gimli wrinkled his face. "It was my pride and joy!" he cried. "You've taken this too far. However am I to attract a dwarf lady now?"

His last sentence was too much. Aragorn could not hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

"I am sure that your lady friends will find you just as irresistible as ever, my dear dwarf, with or without your manly beard," Aragorn smirked.

"Ugh!" Gimli shouted in dismay. "I will get you back for this one!"

He turned and stormed off in a huff.


	3. A Wizard's Wrath

Gimli quietly cracked the door to his quarters open. Peeking outside, he found that there was no one in sight. My, how they made this all too easy for him. Shouldn't they have learned by now?He was determined to get them back good this time. He stealthily stole up the steps to Legolas's room. Or, at least he tried to be stealthy. Being a dwarf whose favorite activity was eating didn't aid him in the area of stealth.

He entered Legolas's room and left again without fault. He then moved on to Aragorn. As he crept up to the edge of the bed, Aragorn shifted in his sleep. Gimli froze, hardly daring to breathe. Aragorn reached out and took Gimli's hand, which he had left lying on the bedside.

"Arwen… I missed you," Aragorn mumbled softly.

Gimli's face turned bright pink in the dark, his eyes darting around, trying to devise a plan of escape. He cleared his throat.

"I missed you too, honey," the dwarf replied in his best high-pitched voice.

"Your hands are cold," Aragorn remarked.

"Err… uhh…" Gimli stuttered. "It's nothing to worry about. Get back to sleep, dear."

Satisfied, Aragorn smiled and rolled over, falling back into the depths of his dream.

Gimli breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped he never had to do_ that_ again. He finished up his prank-playing and exited the room.

Grinning to himself, Gimli set out for his own bed. It had been a successful night. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he paused for a moment, as if considering something. His grin growing wider, he turned and went back up the steps, heading down the corridor in the direction opposite of his own quarters, going straight for Gandalf's room.

Minutes later, he ran from the wizard's room, giggling to himself. This was one of his best ideas yet.

--------

Legolas stood at the window, peering outside as the light rain gently fell onto the ground. A cool breeze shifted through the trees, blowing back his golden hair. He frowned. During the night, Gimli had been at it again.

"Good morning, Legolas," Gandalf called into the elf's room. "You, too, Aragorn," he said as when he saw him sitting on the elf's bed.

"Gandalf, you're awake?" Legolas asked quickly, turning around to face the doorway, but Gandalf had already passed by it. "Beware when…"

He was cut off by a cry coming from the bathroom.

"…you look in the mirror," Legolas finished with a sigh.

"I should find myself a pair of earplugs," Aragorn remarked glumly, "if there will always be someone screaming in the morning."

Gandalf appeared in the doorway again, lips bright with a dazzling red lipstick, complete with an array of sparkles. Unfortunately for them, Legolas and Aragorn looked quite the same.

"I shall turn him into a toad!" Gandalf declared, turning to find the dwarf.

Aragorn and Legolas hurried after him.

--------

It was not long until they found him, sheltered from the rain under the gazebo situated just in the center of Rivendell. Aragorn and Legolas were the first to approach him.

"Gimli son of Gloin, I know you are the culprit for this!" Aragorn accused.

The dwarf sat comfortably in his shelter, sipping away at some hot cocoa, complete with melting marshmallows. He sat the mug on the bench beside him; then stretched slowly.

"Indeed I am. Congratulations on your find, Mr. Sherlock," he replied sarcastically. "I ordered some Permanent Kiss off QVC the other day. Given the state of kindness we have received one another in as of late, I could not bear to be so selfish as to keep it all to myself, and naturally shared with you. I knew you would just love the results."

"Permanent Kiss?" Legolas exclaimed in dismay. "You mean that it won't come off?"

"Well, that is generally what permanent would mean," Gimli said smugly.

"What?" Aragorn said, astounded. "This is just great for my image! I'm supposed to be the rugged outdoorsy type; and last time I checked, rugged outdoorsy type guys don't wear lipstick! Whatever will Arwen have to say when she sees _this_?"

"Now then… That's just too bad for you, isn't it?" Gimli said, chuckling all the while.

Just then, Gandalf came storming onto the scene.

"You! What have you done to us?" the wizard demanded, fury in his eyes.

"I…" Gimli began calmly.

"No!" Gandalf shouted. "I am the one speaking here. When a wizard speaks, no one dares to interrupt him, least of all you, you fool of a… a…" He turned to Legolas and Aragorn. "What is Gimli's last name anyway?"

They looked at one another questioningly. What was the dwarf's last name? Funny, they had never wondered what it was, let alone realizedthat they didn't know. The two looked back at Gandalf and shrugged, perplexed.

"Fool of a dwarf then!" he exclaimed. "Yes, that will do. That will do quite nicely indeed… Bah! For this, I shall turn you into a toad!"

Gimli stared at him wide-eyed. "Now Gandalf, maybe…"

"Silence, fool of a dwarf! I will make you a toad with one quick swing of my staff. And that would only be if you are lucky," he threatened. "Perhaps I will turn you into sometime much more terrible instead!"

A hint of a smile snuck onto Gimli's face.

"What do you find so humorous?" Gandalf boomed.

"You, my dear friend, do not have your staff with you," Gimli boasted.

"Ahh!" Gandalf cried. "I shall destroy you! Legolas, Aragorn! Come aid me!"

The wizard turned to look at his two friends, expecting them to be eager at a chance to get their revenge on Gimli. Instead, they were paying absolutely no attention whatsoever to the current conversation, but were holding one oftheir own, arguing and pondering over what Gimli's last name could possibly be…

"Fine," Gandalf grumbled. "I shall do away with him on my own!"

He leapt in the dwarf's direction. Gimli jumped up and vaulted himself over the side railing of the gazebo, with Gandalf in close pursuit. Legolas and Aragorn remained under the roof, out of the rain, desperately trying to solve the puzzle of Gimli's name, completely unaware of the loud shouting coming from Gimli and the wizard.

* * *

**A/N:** Please leave me a review to let me know how you are enjoying the story. I hope you are liking it so far. Suggestions for future pranks would be helpful, too, as I find I am beginning to run out!


	4. Gandalf the Pink?

"Psst, Merry!" a voice hissed behind him.

The young hobbit turned around to see Pippin sticking his head out of their bedroom, motioning at him with his hand.

"Come here," Pippin whispered.

Merry walked back to the room, Pippin closing the door after the both of them.

"What is it, Pip?" Merry asked, sounding as if Pippin was interrupting something very important.

But, of course, Merry had been doing nothing at all, regardless of importance. He and Pippin were masters at avoiding any kind of constructive activity whatsoever.

"What do you think of playing another prank?" Pippin inquired eagerly.

Merry's face brightened a shade. "On Gimli? Oh, I would love to."

"Well…" Pippin hesitated, looking down at his hands. "Not necessarily on Gimli…"

"On who then?" Merry asked, eyeing his friend cautiously.

"I have this great idea for a prank to play on Gandalf," Pippin answered. "If…"

"The wizard?" Merry interrupted. "No way! He would kill us, Pippin."

"But only if we got caught," Pippin replied, grinning.

Merry was starting to catch the spirit. He told himself he was asking this question only to satisfy his curiosity. He wasn't seriously considering doing something like this…

"What is your idea?"

Pippin smiled and began to share his plan with Merry. Minutes later, he had finished, a wide grin plastered on his young face. A similar grin was beginning to grow on Merry's lips.

"All right. You convinced me," Merry consented.

Pippin laughed. "I knew I could get you!"

"We should ask Frodo and Sam to join us on our little quest tonight," Merry suggested mischievously.

"Good idea!" Pippin agreed. "Let's go find them."

The two hobbits eagerly jumped up from the bed and dashed out of the room in search of their older friends. The grass was still damp from the earlier rain, and as Merry jumped off the last step in the staircase, he slipped and fell smack dab on his bottom.

"Owww…" Merry whined, lying on the ground.

"Nice going," Pippin teased, laughing at him. "You're even clumsier than I am!"

"I am not!" Merry protested.

"Says who?" Pippin argued.

"I do. Now get over here and help me up," Merry said crossly.

Pippin stepped over to his fellow Hobbit's side and offered him his hand. Merry took it, but instead of letting Pippin help him get up, he helped Pippin get down on the ground.

"Let me go!" Pippin cried as the two Halflings tumbled across the wet grass.

Pippin managed to break free for a moment, and quickly rose to his feet. He tried to run, but found that there was an unusual weight attached to his leg. A weight named Merry, to be exact. He fruitlessly attempted to shake him off, but Merry's hold remained firm on Pippin's leg. Just then Frodo and Sam came walking around the corner.

"What in the name of the Valar are you two doing?" Frodo asked, staring at the awkward sight.

Pippin was desperately trying to escape, dragging a sprawled out Merry on the ground behind him. The scene was humorous to say the least.

"Trying to find you!" Pippin replied, as if that explained everything.

"It sure looks like it," Sam remarked smugly.

"We were, honest," Merry chimed in, releasing his grip on Pippin's leg and standing to his feet. "Pip and I wanted to know if you would play a prank with us."

"If it means getting revenge on that blasted dwarf, I would love to accompany you," Sam said with a frown.

"That's not who he wants to play a prank on though," Merry blurted out. "He wants to do something to Gandalf."

"Gandalf?" Frodo asked in surprise. "Didn't you guys hear what happened to Gimli after he pranked Gandalf with that Permanent Kiss?"

"Gimli isn't as smart or cunning as we are though," Pippin argued.

"Nor as good looking," Merry added.

Frodo threw a glance to Sam, who raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes in reply. After a few minutes of ensuing conversation, Frodo and Sam had agreed to aid Merry and Pippin on their prank. Victorious in their scheme, Merry and Pippin went off alone in eager anticipation of the night's coming events.

----

The foursome quietly entered the room, cautiously eyeing the large form of the sleeping wizard, a wizard that was snoring quite loudly. Pippin couldn't help but giggle, wishing that he could capture the moment to later prove to Gandalf that he did indeed snore.

Merry was chosen to keep an eye on Gandalf, in case he stirred. He remained quiet until they were nearly finished, but then began to roll over on his side. The sudden movement startled Merry, who took a step backwards, and landed square on Pippin's foot.

"Oww!" the young hobbit yelped.

Pippin stared at Merry angrily and whacked the hobbit's head.

"What was that?" he asked all too loudly.

The sudden noise caused Gandalf to shift in his sleep, being dangerously close to awakening and catching the four hobbits red-handed in their mischievous act. Frodo quickly placed his hand over Pippin's mouth from behind.

"Shut your mouth or we're all going to be in more trouble than all the trouble you have ever been in combined," Frodo hissed.

Merry shot Pippin a look that clearly stated, "And that's quite a lot of trouble."

"And you two think you're more cunning than Gimli is…" Sam mumbled.

The hobbits finished their prank-playing; then ran off, eager to put distance between them and Gandalf after their close call.

----

Unable to contain themselves, the hobbits returned to the scene of the crime early the next morning to see what Gandalf's reaction would be to their late night doings. They had not been waiting for long when the wizard stirred and got out of bed. After all, he was one that enjoyed the mornings before the busy day had to begin. Walking across the room, he reached for the one of the things he was rarely seen without – his hat.

"What in the…?" Gandalf exclaimed at the sight.

Hearing the surprise in his voice, the hobbits instantly popped out of their hiding place, doubled over in a fit of laughter.

"You evil little demon hobbits!" Gandalf cried.

Their only response was more laughter.

"Your fate shall be worse than that of Gimli the fool of a dwarf!" he boomed threateningly.

The hobbits quickly stopped giggling.

"It was his idea!" three of them cried, all at once, pointing at Pippin.

That said, they sprinted off as fast as their short hobbit legs would carry them, leaving Pippin to face the wizard all by himself.

"Thanks a lot, guys!" Pippin yelled sarcastically.

A second later, Merry's face reappeared.

"No problem," he shouted back. "Anything for you, Pip!"

And he vanished again just as quickly as he had come back.

"You fool of a Took!" Gandalf cried. "Yes, I know your last name, and I am going to use it! How am I to be Gandalf the Grey when my hat has been turned to pink?"

"Gosh, I'm stumped," Pippin replied after a moment of thoughtful silence. "How would you do that?"

"Argh!" Gandalf yelled. "Get out of my sight, you evil little Halfling, before I turn _you_ pink!"

Before Gandalf had even finished the sentence, Pippin was darting out the door and running as fast as he could back to his own quarters.


	5. Frolicking Orcs & Rubber Ducks

"Pippin!" Sam cried out in relief as he saw the hobbit rush into their bedroom. "I'm surprised that Gandalf didn't turn you into something unnatural!"

"I don't doubt that he would have if I hadn't run all the way back here!" Pippin replied, collapsing on his bed, breathing heavily.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice before you play a prank, especially on Gandalf," Merry said, acting as if he were completely innocent. "And then trying to get us involved as well… You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I wouldn't count on it," Frodo remarked. "Not from Pippin. Before long he will be making plans to go do something even worse to him."

"I think you're right, Mr. Frodo," Sam agreed.

"I'm hungry," Merry announced, changing the subject.

"You're hungry?" Pippin said. "I'm starved. I had to run the whole way back here from Gandalf's room!"

"All right, you two," Sam interrupted, not wanting another fiasco involving them. "I think it's about time for some second breakfast."

Mealtime being something they could all agree on, the friends headed off to indulge themselves in a delicious second breakfast.

----

"You'll never guess what I saw today," Legolas announced with a laugh later that day.

"What was that?" Aragorn asked curiously.

"Guess," the elf insisted.

"Come on, Legolas," Aragorn said. He got only a pouting face in return. "Okay… Let me see. You saw an Orc frolicking in the meadow?"

"I was being serious," Legolas said, frowning.

"How do you know I wasn't?" Aragorn asked, grinning.

"Fine, I will just tell you," Legolas consented. "I spotted Gimli alone down by the lake. That's not a big deal, but you should have seen his bathing suit! There were rubber duckies on it. Ducks of all shapes and sizes! And his legs… There was enough hair there to make a forest. The only thing is, forests are generally dark, and his legs were anything but. It would take him weeks of sitting out in the sun to get even the slightest tan!"

Before Legolas had even been halfway done with his tale, Aragorn found himself biting his lip in a useless attempt to hold back a fit of laughter.

"Are you serious?" Aragorn exclaimed, still cackling.

"I swear. You have to see this. We should go pay him a visit," Legolas suggested.

"Okay," Aragorn agreed, mischievously. "We can tell him what we think of his new 'tan' and his bathing suit."

It did not take them long to reach the pond where Legolas had seen Gimli earlier that morning. The dwarf was still there, comfortably seated by the edge of the water in a lawn chair. In his hand he held a glass full of ice cold lemonade, complete with a small umbrella. Sunglasses rested on his nose to shield his eyes from the sun.

"Hey Gimli," Legolas called.

"Ugh. What do you want?" Gimli asked grumpily.

"Oh, we just came over for a visit," Aragorn replied innocently.

Gimli lowered his glasses and stared at the duo suspiciously, slowly taking a sip of his lemonade through a straw.

"Really then?" Gimli remarked.

"Yes," Legolas told him. "We have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Gimli asked in astonishment, stepping towards them, losing all suspicions at the thought. "That's great!"

"Here you are," Aragorn said, pushing Gimli off the edge into the water.

When the dwarf resurfaced, he was enraged; but he thought, _'Perhaps if I make it appear that I don't care, they will go away…' _He decided to make the best of it and test his new theory. He saw his yellow rubber ducky, his favorite one to be exact, still floating in the lake from their earlier swim. He took it into his hand; then suddenly burst into song.

"Rubber ducky, you're so fine! I'm so glad that you are mine!" Gimli sang.

Needless to say, Aragorn and Legolas instantly doubled over in laughter.

"You are worse off than I had thought!" Aragorn exclaimed in gasped breaths, trying desperately to remember to breathe between the fits of giggles.

"If only the Elves always had this sort of entertainment in Rivendell," Legolas remarked.

The two turned their backs on the dripping dwarf, still laughing to themselves.

'_Don't you worry; I will get you for this!'_ Gimli thought as he watched them walk away.

After taking the time to swim with his rubber ducky for a while longer, Gimli made his way out of the water and began to brainstorm for ideas for plotting his revenge. Being the creative dwarf he was, he soon came up with a plan that he very much liked and made preparations to carry it out that night. When the sun had set, Gimli started out for the rooms where Aragorn and Legolas slept. Tonight's prank was a short one, and it was not long until he had finished his task and could be seen quickly scampering away.

----

"Good morning, Aragorn," Legolas greeted his friend, meeting him in the hallway outside their rooms.

"Good morning," Aragorn replied, yawning sleepily.

"It looks like it will be a beautiful day today," Legolas observed. "Let's go outside for a bit."

Aragorn agreed and the two went out on the green lawn.

"I am surprised Gimli didn't try to prank us last night," Legolas remarked.

Aragorn shrugged. "Maybe he decided to take out his wrath on someone else."

The two made conversation for a few minutes before Aragorn decided that now would be a good of a time as ever to polish up his sword. He pulled it out of it sheath, and when his eyes met the glimmering metal, he gasped.

"What is it?" Legolas asked, turning from the sight of a beautiful sunrise.

It did not take the fair elf long to notice what was wrong. Gimli had copied a former prank of theirs, and engraved the message 'Aragorn + Arwen (equals) Love!' on Aragorn's sword.

"He ruined my best sword!" Aragorn exclaimed in dismay.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Aragorn heard a muffled cry from behind him. He turned to see a large dwarven figure topple from the branches of a tree. Gimli landed on the ground with a loud thump.

"Ha ha!" Gimli tried to chuckle in delight between groans of pain.

"You have crossed the line this time. I swear I will kill you, dwarf!" Legolas exclaimed, reaching for his bow and arrows.

Unfortunately for the elf, Gimli had all ready though ahead to that possibility. Legolas' bow string had been cut and his arrows had been snapped in two.

"And you thought I was mad before… Now I'm really going to kill you!" Legolas yelled, taking off after the troublesome dwarf.

Gimli's grin vanished. "Uh oh… Help!" he shouted, darting away as fast as he could.

* * *

**A/N:** Huge thanks to all of my reviewers. Your comments are very encouraging. As the story is currently written, only one or two more chapters remain. I will continue to add on to it as long as my readers' intrest appears to be kept, but updates may take a little longer since I am now writing from scratch, rather than just polishing old material. Please leave me a review on your way out! 


	6. The Many Uses of Jello

About an hour later, Legolas returned from the chase.

"Did you catch him?" Aragorn asked, eager for his turn to pummel the dwarf.

"No," Legolas admitted. "He was so terrified that he ran straight into the girl's washroom, and I was certainly not that desperate to catch him."

Aragorn laughed. "Well, I don't blame you there."

The elf smiled. "I think it will be awhile before we hear from him again."

----

Dusk was settling in over Rivendell. Another hour or two and it would be completely dark. Cautiously, Gimli cracked open the door and peeked out of the girl's bathroom.

'_Whew! I think he's gone,_' he thought to himself.

With another quick scan of the area, he determined that it was safe and scurried out of the bathroom towards his room. Once there, he snuggled up with his favorite blanket, vowing not to play another prank on Legolas and Aragorn… For tonight, at least.

----

"Frodo and Sam!" a gruff voice hissed from behind them.

Startled, the two Hobbits jumped. Out of the shadow emerged Gandalf's form.

"No, no," he reassured them, seeing the frightened look on their faces. "I am not coming to get back at you. Don't be such a fool of a Baggins and Gamgee."

Both of them visibly relaxed and let out a sigh.

"What's the idea of sneaking up on us like that then?" Sam grumbled.

"I didn't wish for anyone to see us," Gandalf told him. "I need your help. I said I was not coming to get back at you, which is true, but I am going to get revenge on that fool of a Took."

"Come on, Sam," Frodo grinned. "What do you say about having a little fun with Pippin tonight?"

"I suppose we could," Sam agreed thoughtfully. "What do you want us to do?"

Gandalf carefully explained their part in the act to the two Halflings.

Frodo giggled. "That's a great idea. I can't wait!"

Gandalf sent them off to hurriedly return to their room, not wanting anything to seem amiss, as he too retreated to his quarters.

Having arrived, he sat on his bed quietly, eagerly waiting for his chance to finally get his revenge on Pippin. Outside the window, the moon shone brightly. Gandalf could not help but chuckle to himself. Just a little bit longer until he could be sure that everyone had retired for the night.

The wizard had purposely delayed playing a prank on the Hobbit. To be blunt about it, the boy was not the sharpest tool in the shed. By now, he had likely forgotten all about the incident, and would not be expecting Gandalf to give him a visit tonight. Of course, this would have been a great time for Pippin to expect the unexpected.

Gandalf rose from his bed and stealthily darted out his door, making his way to where the Hobbits slept. He carefully finished his prank and went back to his quarters to await the morning.

----

The next morning, Frodo and Sam sneaked out of their room, careful not to disturb Pippin who lay in his bed, awake yet grumpy about the fact, much like any morning. Luckily, Merry had all ready left for breakfast, so the two Hobbits did not have to worry about him interfering with the plan.

They reached the green grass where Gandalf was waiting for them, just under the small balcony that extended from their room. The wizard grinned at the sight of them and, after a moment, gave them the signal.

"Pippin!" Frodo and Sam cried in unison. "Get up and come outside. There's a feast!"

Not one to pass up a chance for food, Pippin rolled out of his bed and made his way to the balcony. He noticed that the railing was missing, but paid no mind, as he was preoccupied with the thought of eating. Nearing the edge, his foot landed on slippery wax. He desperately tried to maintain his balance, but every time he put his foot down, it landed in the same substance, and he slipped again, closer to the edge of the balcony, until he fell right off.

However, this was not the end of young Pippin's adventure. Falling through the air, he clamped his eyes shut, waiting for the painful impact on the hard ground. What he really landed on was far from hard. In fact, it was spongy, somewhat sticky, and smelled good, too.

He opened his eyes to discover he was stuck inside a big, green blob – a blob that tasted like lime Jello, most likely because it was lime Jello. Outside of this great mound of yummy goodness, Frodo and Sam were literally rolling on the floor, err… ground laughing.

Gandalf stood, grinning wide, pointing at Pippin triumphantly.

"I have gotten you!" he cackled. "You never saw it coming, you fool of a Took! I suppose now you will think twice before you mess with a wizard. Let me warn you ahead of time – I still have a large supply of multi-flavored Jello at my disposal!"

Gandalf and the two Hobbits continued to banter the poor Pippin, trapped inside a word of jiggling lime flavor. Finally losing interest, they began to part ways. Distressed, Pippin attempted to protest their leaving him in such a condition, but all he achieved was obtaining a large mouthful of lime Jello. He found that it was actually quite tasty.

Pippin's face brightened a shade, realizing that he still had had naught to eat since the previous night. He could eat his way right out of his predicament! He opened his mouth wide for another bite.

----

More than an hour later, Pippin lay on the ground where the mound of Jello used to be, groaning.

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing…" he moaned.

"Pip? What are you doing down here?" Merry asked, happening to catch sight of him as he was passing by on his way back from breakfast.

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing…" he repeated.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Merry questioned him, helping him to his feet.

"I can't believe…"

_Slap!_

"Cut it out, Pippin!" Merry insisted. "Tell me what happened."

"Okay, fine," Pippin consented. "Gandalf played a prank on me last night. I think Frodo and Sam were in on it, too. They booby-trapped the balcony so I would fall into a bit pit of… of… of…"

Pippin sneezed. In doing so, a green substance flew from his nose and onto the ground, right by Merry's foot.

"Pippin!" Merry cried. "That's disgusting."

"No," Pippin protested. "It's not what you think it is. You see, what I fell into was a big pit of lime Jello, and I had to eat all of it to escape! But while I was stuck in it, some of it must have gotten up my nose."

"That's ridiculous," Merry argued.

"It's true!"

When Merry still refused to believe him, Pippin reached to the ground and picked up the same green substance that had just flown from his nostrils a moment earlier. Before the hobbit could know what he was doing, Pippin shoved the matter into Merry's mouth.

"Eww!" Merry cried, a look of shock and disgust on his face. "That's sickening! It's repulsive, revolting… nauseating even! It's… Hey, that's actually pretty good. Okay, so maybe it was lime Jello."

"I told you!" Pippin groaned.

"Well it's not my fault, you know," Merry said. "You should stay out of mounds of lime Jello from now on."

Pippin glared at him. "I will be sure to follow that advice from now on. Now help me back up to our room. I think I'm going to be sick."

Merry helped his fellow Hobbit, who was beginning to look a shade like lime Jello, back inside and to his bed.

"Merry," Pippin called as his friend began to leave the room.

"What?" Merry replied.

"I can't believe I ate the whole thing…"

Pippin heard the sound of the bedroom door slamming almost before his sentence was finished.

* * *

**A/N:**You got a quick update! Thank the glorious weekend. Leave me a review on the way out. 


	7. Orcs Are Coming!

"Hello, dwarf!" Aragorn called as he saw Gimli approaching.

Gimli mumbled a greeting in response.

"Well, I had quite an uneventful night. How about yourself, Aragorn?" Legolas asked, glancing in Gimli's direction.

"Oh yes, it was quite pleasant indeed," the ranger replied. "I am very grateful that no one was so terrible as to disturb either of us again."

Gimli decided to play along. "I am pleased to hear that. I would not want someone bothering my two very dear friends."

At this, Legolas rose and excused himself. He turned to leave, but not before he threw a wink in Aragorn's direction. Then he disappeared into the trees.

"I trust then that you had a splendid night as well?" Aragorn inquired, trying to think up of a way to make Gimli stick around until Legolas returned.

"Slept the entire way through," the dwarf replied.

Aragorn successfully kept him busy for a few moments longer until the sounds of Legolas noisily tearing through the woods could be heard.

"Friends!" he cried, emerging from the trees. "Prepare yourselves! Enemies are approaching. Ready your weapons!"

Gimli stood motionless, too shocked to do anything else.

"You there, dwarf!" the elf shouted. "Where is your axe? Are you going to just stand there as we are attacked?"

"No, of course not!" he replied.

Gimli turned and sprinted up the steps towards his quarters where he had left his axe. When he returned, Aragorn and Legolas were also readying their weapons.

"I shall die before I allow enemies to encroach upon this beautiful city!" Gimli cried at the top of his lungs.

"Orcs!" Aragorn yelled, catching the spirit. "Thou shall be slain!"

Now, it just so happens that while this was taking place, Gandalf was making his way back to his own room after entrapping poor Pippin in a mound of lime Jello. Upon hearing the battle cries, the wizard quickened his pace and hurried to the scene.

"Enemies attacking Rivendell?" Gandalf asked, surprised. "I shall turn them all into toads! Today they will learn to fear the name of Gandalf the Grey."

"With a pink hat," Gimli coughed, not missing the opportunity to mock one of his mates, despite the imminent doom coming for them all.

Luckily for Gimli, the wizard was too wound up by now to notice the smart remark. Legolas shot a concerned look at Aragorn.

"Err… Gandalf," Aragorn began.

"Silence, Strider!" Gandalf cried. "The enemy is approaching. We must all be fully alert if we want to destroy them!"

"What he's…" Legolas started.

"You heard the man!" Gimli cut him off.

Helpless, Aragorn and Legolas stared at one another while Gimli and Gandalf tensed in anticipation of a battle. The leaves on the trees and bushes were rustling. Whatever was concealed in those trees was approaching quickly. Gimli threw a small dagger in the noise's direction. Although he could not see where it landed, a dull thud was heard.

"Aye! One for me before we can even see our foes!" Gimli exclaimed. "I shall better you this time, elf!"

The leaves were rustling even louder now. The crack of a twig was heard. Something began to emerge from the shadows… Gandalf pointed his staff and began to quote a spell as a small squirrel appeared from the woods. The animal stood on his hind legs, surveying the foursome. He soon decided that they were nothing interesting and scurried back into the trees.

"What?" Gimli asked, confused. "No Orcs?"

Legolas bit his lip, snickering. Aragorn heard it and glanced in his direction. The fact that the elf was snickering caused Aragorn to do the same. In turn, Aragorn's joining him caused Legolas to burst out into full-fledged laughter. This continued until both were laughing so hard they thought they might die due to lack of oxygen.

"You!" the dwarf shouted, irate. "You knew it all along. You were out to make a fool of me!"

"I am ashamed of you!" Gandalf told them. "If you want to make him look like a fool, you are more than welcome to do so. But when you make me look like a fool; then the matter has become personal."

Legolas stared at him as if the wizard had just said something dumb.

Gimli began to nod; then realized just what Gandalf had said.

"Hey, wait…" he began to protest.

Gandalf shot him a look of death and he immediately quieted.

"We tried to warn you!" Aragorn explained.

"Every time we tried you told us to be silent!" Legolas pleaded their case. "You were never meant to be a part of this. It was just for Gimli."

"Are you sure?" Gandalf asked suspiciously, eyeing them over.

"Yes," Aragorn confirmed; then decided to add on to his statement. "We would never so much as dream of pulling such a dirty trick on one such as yourself."

The wizard straightened himself to his full height as he allowed the remark to fully stroke his ego.

"Well then," he said. "In that case, the whole matter is quite amusing. The fact that Gimli could mistake a squirrel for an army of Orcs… Yes, it's hilarious actually! What a fool of a dwarf he really is."

Gandalf continued to chuckle about the incident as Legolas and Aragorn failed miserably in trying to hide their devilish grins from the dwarf's view.

"That is not fair!" Gimli whined. "What makes it okay for them to pull a trick on me?"

"The fact that it was done to you, and not myself," Gandalf stated matter-of-factly, grinning wide.

"Perhaps the next time Orcs are really coming, I will just leave you all to their mercy," Gimli voiced crossly.

"There will be nothing of the sort!" Gandalf boomed.

He aimed his staff and blurted out a few words that sounded like a bunch of nonsense to the others. It must have been very powerful nonsense; however, because a lick of flame shot just over Gimli's head.

The dwarf cried out and ducked, though Gandalf could have easily hit him if he had wished to do so. Not willing to take any more chances, he turned and hurried off, as far as he could get from Gandalf and the old wizard's staff.

Pleased with himself, Gandalf bid the remaining duo goodbye for the time being, leaving them to reminisce over the event.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! I try my best to reply to all of those who sign in and leave reviews, but sometimes I will get so busy it will slip my mind. Know that I appreciate your feedback even if I forget to reply to your review. As a shameless plug, I invite you all to read the original Revenge of the Fellowship story to see what started it all! 


	8. Never Mess With a Dwarf

After the incident earlier that day, Gimli had decided to distance himself as far away as he could possibly get from the others. Now he lay floating on his back in the middle of the pond, his rubber ducky seated on his chest, staring at him.

"They think they're so smart," Gimli mumbled. "Why must they always choose _me_ to pick on? What did I ever do to them?"

The rubber ducky seemingly nodded with the rising and falling of Gimli's chest.

"I see that you agree with me," the dwarf said. "At least someone does. But they will get what is coming for them… If they want to mess with me, I will get out the heavy artillery! They will learn why no one dares to mess with a dwarf!"

Gimli stared his precious duck in the eyes as it continued to nod.

"Yes… That's a great idea," Gimli agreed. "They will never see it coming!"

----

Meanwhile, Legolas and Aragorn were coming up with a scheme of their own, hoping that this time no one else would interfere.

"That was such a close call earlier," Aragorn remarked.

"I know," Legolas agreed. "I thought for a moment we would both be turned into extra crispy frog legs, but in the end it just made the prank on Gimli all the better!"

Aragorn chuckled. "Let's just do our best not to let something like that happen again."

"We should play another prank on Gimli tonight," Legolas suggested. "I doubt that he would expect another attack to come so quickly."

"You're probably right," Aragorn said thoughtfully. "Maybe we could tie his hair up in ponytails, or even kidnap his beloved rubber duck!"

Legolas giggled. "It sounds like we have a plan!"

----

That night a storm came over Rivendell. The wind whipped around the trees and thunder boomed in the background. Legolas and Aragorn hurried towards Gimli's room, seeing by the flashes of lightning. Despite the trip being quick, both of them were dripping wet by the time the arrived.

Standing outside his door, they rang their clothes and hair out, though it failed to do much in making them drier. Aragorn glanced at Legolas who nodded and gave him the okay. Turning the knob, Aragorn pushed the door open. Halfway through, it creaked loudly. The two froze, but after a minute or so of breathless waiting, they saw no movement in the room, and deemed it safe to go in.

Legolas tip-toed to the corner of the room where he thought Gimli might keep his rubber duck at night. His Elvish footsteps were so quiet even the keenest ear would have found them difficult to hear. Aragorn remained towards the center of the room, eyeing the form tucked beneath the blankets on the bed. It struck him as odd that Gimli was not snoring to a volume that was nothing short of obnoxious, as he had caught him doing many times before, but he decided to think nothing of it.

A creak sounded behind them, or at least Legolas thought he heard one. He whirled around stealthily, but saw nothing different about the room.

"Did you just hear that?" the Elf whispered.

"Hear what?" Aragorn asked.

"Never mind then…" Legolas said, returning to his hunt.

Finally Legolas found the duck and removed it from the cupboard where it sat upon its own cushion. Grinning at Aragorn through the dark, he began to make his way for the door. The ranger was preoccupied, however. Though he had decided to dismiss the fact that Gimli was not snoring, he was now almost certain that the covered figure was not breathing. Suspicious, he edged towards the bed; then quickly threw back the blankets.

On the bed lay no dwarf, but only a group of pillows and cushions, arranged to make it seem as if there were a body lying there. Aragorn panicked. If the dwarf was not here, and he had gone through such precautions as to make it seem as if he were there, the chances that Gimli was up to no good were staggering.

"We need to get out of here," Aragorn hissed, quite too loudly.

Seeing Aragorn's discovery, Legolas became just as concerned as he was. Their nerves already tense, a surprisingly loud crack of thunder made them jump and dash for the door. The dash was short-lived; however, because as they had almost escaped through the doorway, they hit an invisible wall of plastic wrap. Legolas hit it first, and bounced backwards, stumbling right into Aragorn, who was too close behind him to stop and was not paying attention to where he was going anyway. Both landed on their bottoms with a resounding thud.

"Hahaha!" a deep voice cackled from somewhere behind them.

They turned to see the form of Gimli, perched up on top of a wardrobe in one of the corners of the room.

"I got you!" he cried in glee. "I have outsmarted the both of you!"

Legolas was the first one to his feet. "That's not funny!" he protested.

"I agree," Aragorn said, standing up behind him. "I'm going to be sore tomorrow!"

Legolas began to walk towards Gimli.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Gimli said, wagging his finger and pointing something at him that looked remarkably like a squirt gun. "No further or the both of you get it!"

"Now Gimli, let's be reasonable about this…" Aragorn began.

"Reasonable or not," Legolas interrupted. "What on earth do you think water is going to do to us? Are we going to melt? Will we shrink? I think not! It's pouring in buckets outside, for Valar's sake, and that didn't do anything to us! You haven't planned very well on this one."

Aggravated by the elf's remarks, Gimli pulled the trigger and let loose a spray of ketchup in their direction. He kept squirting until both Aragorn and Legolas looked like they would go quite well with a side of French fries.

Enraged, Aragorn started for the dwarf with Legolas both behind, clearly bent on wringing poor Gimli's neck. This was just as he had hoped for. As the two came closer, Aragorn's foot set off a trigger, which in turn let go of a string that had previously been holding steady a bucket high above their heads. The bucket tilted precariously until it fell, dumping its contents of week old porridge all over the forms of Legolas and Aragorn. Atop the wardrobe, Gimli doubled back in laughter.

"My hair!" Legolas wailed. "Have you any idea what this will do to it? It will take hours to fix. What if I get a split end?"

"And mine!" Aragorn cried. "I am afraid that it may have to be washed again. How could you do something so cruel to me?"

Eager to leave before Gimli pulled something else out on them, they turned and hurriedly headed for the door.

"I told you!" Gimli shouted after them. "I told you to beware. Let us see if you ever try to prank me again!"

Aragorn and Legolas ran for their own rooms as the rain continued to pour, trying to dodge the puddles on the way, but muddying their boots nonetheless. When they were almost there, Legolas became aware of the putrid scent of week old porridge in his nostrils.

"Human," he said, face wrinkled up in repugnance. "You smell even worse than most of your kind."

Aragorn glared in return. "As if your scent is much better, _elf_."

Those were the last words spoken between them for the night as the two entered their own quarters.


	9. Blemishes and Duct Tape

The rest of the night was not a good one for poor Legolas and Aragorn. Upon reaching their rooms, they immediately stripped and bathed to be rid themselves of the ketchup and porridge, hoping that the terrible stench would be washed away just as easily.

Unfortunately for them, it was not. After changing into their nightclothes, they found themselves tossing and turning in their attempts to sleep due to the smell that was filling their room. It is, after all, quite difficult to get away from the smell that is you.

As the sun rose, they began to drag themselves out of bed, though neither wanted to and both prolonged rising until much later than usual. Starting the day off tired and in a sour mood, they could only hope that it would improve.

Walking side by side slowly down the corridor, Legolas happened to catch a glimpse of one of the mirrors hanging on the wall. He quickly turned his head for a closer look. Could he have possibly seen what he thought he had seen? The second look proved his suspicions correct.

The poor elf stood there in disbelief at first. Aragorn had kept walking, but then turned and came back to Legolas when he realized the elf had stopped. Horror began to replace the expression of shock on Legolas's face.

"I have a zit!" he exclaimed in dismay.

"What?" Aragorn asked in surprise.

"A zit!" Legolas reiterated. "A pimple, a spot, a blemish! On my face!"

"Where?" the ranger demanded, turning Legolas in his direction so he could see.

"Up there!" Legolas pointed to his forehead, going cross-eyed as he tried to catch a glimpse of his own face without the aid of the mirror.

Sure enough, there was an unsightly mar on his face, placed just so on the center of his forehead. This was no ordinary zit, however. This thing was mutant or something, Legolas thought. It was the biggest pimple he had ever seen in his life, and it shone brilliantly in a bright red.

"Elves don't get pimples!" Legolas whined in despair.

"It will be all right," Aragorn reassured him. "Everyone has to go through…"

"Everyone who is not an elf," Legolas cut him off. "I am supposed to be a creature of beauty. A display of splendor for all Middle Earth to bask in the glory of. People are supposed to look up to me and…"

"That's enough, Legolas. You're not that good-looking," Aragorn stopped him.

The elf stared at him blankly and lapsed into silence.

"I bet it was that devilish concoction of Gimli's that made this happen," Legolas grumbled a moment later. "Half rotten porridge and ketchup cannot be very good for one's skin…"

"Yes, I am sure it was," Aragorn agreed with him absentmindedly, wanting the elf to quit his whining already.

Aragorn had had plenty of zits in his time, and nothing ever happened to him. He did not see what was such a big deal about it.

"I'm going to skin that dwarf alive," Legolas threatened under his breath.

----

A few hours later Gandalf and the Hobbits were found gathered around the table for a scrumptious lunch of roasted chicken and potatoes. Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn were all absent from the scene, but they, especially the Hobbits, were too hungry to care much. None of the three had been seen at all that day, and those at the dinner table correctly assumed that the previous night had held pranks for all of them.

Halfway through the meal, Pippin and Merry were beginning to look a bit mischievous… Frodo and Sam subtly tried to tell them to knock it off, but it was too no avail.

"Mmm… This ale is simply delicious," Gandalf murmured to himself.

That was enough for the Hobbits. Merry and Pippin simply looked at one another, smiles trying to be hidden slowly spreading across their faces instead. Merry let out a tiny giggle, but cut it off short. Next was Pippin. Then both of them were dying with laughter.

"Guys!" Sam hissed at the two through clenched teeth.

"What in Middle Earth is so ridiculously funny that it has you two babbling like fools?" Gandalf demanded.

"Good going," Frodo remarked, glaring at Merry and Pippin.

"I can't help it!" Pippin protested.

"We put something in your ale," Merry confessed, biting his lip to stop his giggle fit.

"You did what?" the wizard exclaimed.

He quickly rose to his feet to smash the Hobbits, but in doing so his head began to spin. He was feeling sleepy. So very sleepy…

----

Gandalf began to stir, his eyes slowly opening. He blinked quickly at the light that flooded in. Birds chirped. He was outside, somewhere, and he could not move.

As the realization of this last minor detail began to set in, Gandalf became alarmed. His eyes flew open, darting around for the reason why he had lost his mobility. There were four reasons, actually.

The four Hobbits danced merrily around a large oak tree which they were duct taping the wizard to. It seemed as if they had been at it for quite some time, for there were already spots where it was all tape and no Gandalf.

So they had planned this all along. They put sleeping powder into his mug of ale at mealtime so they could carry him out here while he slept and duct tape him to a tree. Of course, the dancing in glee was a must for this scene, and made the Hobbits look even more like little demon spawns in Gandalf's eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" the wizard demanded.

The Hobbits giggled.

"Why, it's just for fun, of course," Frodo explained matter-of-factly.

"Not to mention to get back at you for sticking me in a mound of lime Jello!" Pippin put in. "Well, actually, I am not completely unforgiving of that incident. The Jello really was quite good."

"Argh!" Gandalf shouted. "You fool of a Baggins, Gamgee, Brandybuck, _and_ Took! I will get all of you for this. Had you not learned your lesson before? You got off easy when you dyed my hat, but this time you shall wish you had never crossed tracks with Gandalf the Grey!"

"Pink, you mean," Merry corrected him.

"Yes," Pippin agreed. "You told me you could not be Gandalf the Grey with a pink hat, so now you must be Gandalf the Pink."

"Wait…" Sam said, looking at Gandalf. "You mean your favorite color really _isn't_ pink?"

"Of course not!" Gandalf boomed. "Whoever told you such a thing is a deceiver. I do not doubt where you heard it. I am quite certain that it was young Meriadoc and Peregrin who told you such foolishness. If I just had my hands free, why, all of you would…"

The Hobbits heard no more. Frodo looked at Sam, who nodded in reply. They picked up the roll of duct tape and ripped off a generous portion. They then proceeded to place the strip directly over Gandalf's mouth.

"Mmm… nnrr… arrrr!" Gandalf protested.

Having silenced the complaints of their victim, the foursome giggled and resumed their merry dancing around Gandalf and the tree.

* * *

Hehe. Hope you enjoyed! This next chapter will likely be the last one, as I just don't have the time to keep this thing going right now and am more interested in some of the other story ideas I have been playing with. Please leave me a review on your way out.


	10. A Shaky Agreement

**A/N:** I apologize for how long it took to get this chapter up. I hope you find it worth the wait!

**xxxxx**

Legolas stood in front of the mirror in his room, looking quite discontent, and started to pick at his zit.

"Aragorn," the elf wailed. "It will not go away… Everyone is going to see it." He flipped his hair into his face. "Hey… now no one will be able to see it."

Aragorn merely grunted in reply.

"Fine," Legolas said, walking to the bathroom. He returned with a band-aid and placed in firmly on his forehead. "There. Now no one will know the difference. Right?"

"Yes," Aragorn mumbled. "It looks simply swell. Would you blow out the lamps and go to bed now?"

Legolas frowned, but complied, satisfied that his blemish was sufficiently covered from others' eyes, and quickly extinguished the lights before he slipped into his bed, snuggling under the covers for the night.

----

The next morning, just before dawn had begun to shine through the clouds in the sky, Legolas heard something moving around in their room. It seemed like someone walking around and… shaking a can of some sort? Why would Aragorn be up now?

The elf yawned, tiredly wiping the sleep from his eyes. He then opened them to find that Aragorn was not awake at all, but was instead receiving a great new hair style, courtesy of Gandalf and a can of pink silly string.

"Gandalf!" Legolas cried in amazement. "What in Middle Earth are you doing?"

"Oh, toadstools!" Gandalf exclaimed, whipping around at the sound of Legolas's voice. Then he noticed something. "What is on your forehead?"

Legolas immediately remembered the band-aid covering his unsightly zit. "Nothing!" he exclaimed, shifty-eyed, talking loud enough to cause Aragorn to begin to stir. "Nothing at all…"

"What is going on?" Aragorn groaned groggily.

Then he spotted pink on his chin… and in his hair. The silly string was everywhere, and already the ranger knew that it would not be departing without struggle on his part.

"Gandalf!" Aragorn wailed. "How could you do this to me?"

"It is not the way it seems," the wizard insisted. "You see, I was going to do the same to Legolas, so everything would have been fair then, right?"

"What?" Legolas objected, throwing Gandalf a glare.

"You could have started off with him," Aragorn protested. "Why did you come now, not long from dawn, rather than the middle of the night, if you were planning this all along?"

Gandalf mumbled something to himself.

"What was that?" Legolas asked with a hint of teasing in his voice.

"I could not get away from the tree!" Gandalf shouted, exasperated. "The four Hobbits duct taped me to a tree, from which I could not escape, until I was already late in pulling my prank."

The elf burst out laughing.

"The Hobbits taped you to a tree!" he exclaimed.

Gandalf angrily pointed the silly string can at Legolas.

"There is still some left," he threatened.

Legolas immediately quieted at the danger of having pink silly string ruin _his_ gorgeous blonde hair.

"Right then," Gandalf said, still not lowering the can. "About now I will be… leaving."

With that he made a mad dash for the door and vanished around the corner.

----

Aragorn's head popped up from under the water in the pond. He had tried desperately to remove all of the pink string from his hair, but to no avail. A majority of it had washed away, but pieces still remained here and there, and were obvious enough to spot at a mere glance.

He walked up to the beach and toweled off his dripping hair, getting yet more pink stuck on the towel. He quietly grumbled something to himself before heading back towards his quarters.

"Hello there, Aragorn," Gimli said, seemingly popping out of nowhere and jumping into the ranger's path.

"Good afternoon, Gimli," he replied sternly.

"What brings you over here?" the dwarf inquired. "Usually I do not see you on this side of Rivendell unless you are coming to play some sort of trick on me."

"I am not here to play any pranks on you, Gimli," Aragorn told him. "I was just leaving."

"Oh…" Gimli said, seeming to understand. "I see. You did not come to play a prank on me because you have already been pranked yourself!"

Gimli giggled while Aragorn rolled his eyes and began to walk away.

"Aragorn," Gimli called after him.

"What?" he groaned in reply.

"I simply love your hair," the dwarf said. "Pink is certainly your color. It matches your eyes."

The ranger's eyes quickly narrowed as he turned and stormed off from the dwarf. Once he was out of sight, Gimli faced the pond and retrieved his rubber duck from his pocket.

"Did you see him down there?" Gimli asked his duck. "Bathing in our pond… The audacity of it all! He did not even ask our permission. Humph. But do not worry, rubber ducky. We will get him back for it tonight."

----

Pippin was walking along the side of the forest, minding his own business, when all of a sudden he was jumped from behind. He was about to scream when a hand clamped over his mouth, rendering his voice useless. In desperation, he bit the hand that covered his lips.

"Ouch!" a familiar voice yelped.

"Merry?" Pippin asked, turning around to face his assailant.

"What did you do that for, Pip?" Merry demanded, looking hurt.

"The same reason you jumped on me!" Pippin replied crossly.

"I suppose you do have a point…" Merry mused.

"What do you want?" Pippin asked.

"I have the best prank idea for Gimli," Merry told him. "But if we are going to do it, I need your help. We should probably get Frodo and Sam to aid us, too. And we need to get started right away!"

Pippin's face brightened visibly at the thought of pranking someone.

"Okay!" he agreed. "I will go find Frodo and Sam. We can meet back here in half an hour."

"Deal," Merry said, settling the matter, before they hurried off in opposite directions.

----

Gandalf stood in his room, staff in hand, staring menacingly at a flower pot seated on the nightstand in front of him. Tonight he would get his revenge, once and for all, on those dreadful little demons some liked to call Hobbits. Yes… They would find out why no one with any sense at all dared to mess with Gandalf the Pink. _Grey_, he meant. Of course he meant grey.

He was preparing for tonight, making sure that nothing would go amiss during his moment of glory. Pointing his staff towards the flower pot, he uttered a spell with such authority that it would have made an Ent cower. A puff of smoke flashed; then slowly dispersed throughout the room. Where the pot had once stood, a spotted frog now sat.

'Ribbit!' the frog exclaimed.

"This is going to be great!" Gandalf cackled, pleased with his success.

----

Meanwhile, Legolas and Aragorn were aimlessly wondering through corridors, contemplating what their next action would be. Legolas still sported a band-aid on his forehead, while Aragorn walked with the hood of his cloak draped over his head to hide the pink in his hair.

"The Hobbits go and duct tape him to a tree, and he decides to play a prank on us!" Aragorn ranted. "Does that make any sense to you? That makes absolutely no sense to me."

"I agree. We have done nothing to him. Perhaps tonight that should change," Legolas suggested.

"Perhaps it should," Aragorn agreed, grinning devilishly.

----

That night, Gandalf decided to take a shortcut through the trees to the Hobbits' room. He was about halfway there when he thought he heard something behind him. He turned his head to look, but failed to stop walking, and ran right into a tree branch.

"Fool of a tree…" he muttered to himself.

Just then he could have sworn he saw Gimli sneaking about, only a few yards away from him. Perhaps he had had a bit too much ale at mealtime? He shrugged it off and kept walking. A moment later he ran right into Gimli.

"What on earth are you doing out here?" Gandalf demanded as both he and the dwarf lie sprawled out on the ground.

A split second later Aragorn and Legolas arrived. Aragorn tripped over Gandalf's leg, and clutched onto Legolas's shirt in an attempt to keep himself from falling, but only succeeded in pulling the elf along with him to the ground. At the sight of all this, the Hobbits could not help but giggle and thus reveal their location as well.

"What? Why are all of you out here?" Gimli asked from beneath the wizard.

"Why are you here?" Legolas shot back.

"Erm… I…" the dwarf stammered.

"Okay," Frodo said, raising his hands in a sign of surrender. "It is obvious that we are all here on a common purpose. How about we all end this prank playing thing now? I am sure Rivendell will be much nicer without it."

The fellowship looked at one another and agreed. They all departed from the forest that night, seemingly content that they had decided to stop the pranks. But that was not the truth at all…

"Ha!" Pippin whispered once they were out of hearing distance. "They think we will stop playing pranks!"

In reality, he had crossed his fingers while agreeing to put an end to the pranks, and it just so happened that all the others had done the exact same thing…

**--The End--**

**xxxxx**

**A/N:** Well, there you have it. Our story has finally come to a close. Perhaps one day it will be revived, but until then you will have to figure out on you own if the fellowship can or cannot be trusted to keep themselves from pranking each other. I hope you liked my fic. Leave a review on the way out!


End file.
